Dirigible



Jan. 31, 1928.

BYLEK DIRIGIBLE Filed Oct. 24. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR,

Fad/05M Zr/e r Zjow I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES RUDOLPH BYLEK, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DIRIGIBLE.

Application filed October 24,1925. Serial No. 64,582.

This invention relates to dirigible or airship and is more particularlydlrected to a dirigible so constructed as to be rigid and to provideconvenient passenger and freight compartmentsand which dirigible hasmeans for elevating or raising the same from the ground or for loweringthe same to the ground without the discharge or loss from the gas-bag ofthe lifting gas employed.

Many attempts have been made to provide an air-ship or dirigible of thelighter than air type which will have a large lifting capacityand whichis so constructed that the same will be susceptible to use under allconditions of weather and the like, which attempts have been for themost part unsuccessful and have resulted in the loss of numerous livesand the destruction of consiclerable property.

Large hangars are provided for the storage of such ligher than air-craftand it has heretofore been necessary to employ a very large crew of menin order to remove these lighter than air-crafts from such hangars to aposition where the same could desend and it hasalso been necessary onthe descent of such lighter than air-craft to employ a large crew of menin order to return the craft to its hangar.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a dirigible orlighter than aircraft which may be easily manipulated, posltioned in itshangar or removed therefrom descend or make a forced landing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dirigible 1n whichatmospheric conditions on ascending or descending does not make itnecessary to carry a large ballast for discharge from the dirigibleunder unsuitable atmospheric conditions in order to descend or ascend asdesired.

Another object of this invention is to pro videa dirigible in whichliving and storage spaces are provided similar and comparable withthatof a Pullman car which is entirely safe and in which, if desired,use can be made of parachutes and the like for eifecting safe landingwithout damage to the dirigible.

Another object ofthis invention is to provide a dirigible which may beturned in a short radius and which can descend or ascend at an angle tothe altitude at will without loss of time or added mileage by use ofreversible helicopter propellers and shutter planes.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Inwhich drawings:

Figure 1 is a half-section side elevation of a dirigible embodying thisinvention illustrating one of the dirigible balloons and accompanyingconstruction.

FigureQ is an end elevation of a dirigible embodying this invention.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a reversible helicopter andaccompanying mechanisn'i illustrating the same mounted within a sectionof a helicopter gondola embodied in this invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional end elevationof a dirigiblev embodying thisinvention illustrating the girder construction for the rigid dirigible.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the shutter planes illustratingdiagrammatically the control thereof from the controlled gondolas.

Figure 6 illustrates in an enlarged view the controlled mechanism withinthe gondola for controlling the shutter planes.

Figure 7 is a fragmental top perspective of the rear end of a dirigibleembodying this invention, illustrating the horizontal and verticalrudders and fins embodied in this invention.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, 1 and 2 illustrate rigid balloons, each of whichballoons is composed of a plurality of individual gas-bags A of any desired or preferred construction. Each of the balloons 1 and 2 isconstructed of a frame 3 composed of a rigid ring structure 4 connectedto horizontally extending girders 5, which girders 5 are secured to aplurality of truss girders 6 and 7 and in which frame 3a plurality ofshort girders 8 are provided so as to brace and hold the rings 4 at thejoints 9 of their sides. The horizontally extending girders 5 extendthrough from one balloon 1 to and through the opposite balloon 2 so thatthe same are rigidly held together. In order to prevent the collapsingof this structure when the dirigible descends, a plurality oftruss-members 10 are provided the necessity of releasing the balloons 1or 2, which means comprise heli-- which connect the balloons 1 and 2 atthe upper portions. Secured to the girders 5 and to the frames 8 of theballoons 1 and 2 are the necessary girders 11 for supporting the motorgondolas 13 in which gondolas the motors for driving the dirigible aremounted and within which gondolas the motors are controlled. A pair ofhelicopter control gondolas 1.9 are provided, one of which is mounted ateach end of the girder construction between the balloons I and 2. Formedbetween the two lower transversely extending girders 5 are runways 14;,which runways 14 are divided into passenger quarters as indicated at 15and freight compartments as indicated at 16. Secured to the frames 3 atthe underside thereof are landing bumpers 17 which may be in the form ofpontoons or the like for permitting the dirigible to light upon water.

:Means are provided for controlling the descentand ascent of thedirigible without as from the copter propellers IS, which helicopterpropell'ers 18 are secured to shafts 19 mounted in bearings 20 supportedby the framework of the helicopter gondolas 19. Secured to the lower endof the shaft 19 is a be ell gear '21 which may be meshed with either thebevel gears 22 and 23, which bevel gears 22 and 23' are rigidly securedto the drive-shaft are pivotall'y secured to sleeves 29 which arerotatably secured. to the gears 22 and 23 respectively so that eithergear 22 or 23 may be shifted into engagement with the gear 21 asdesired. The gears 22 and 23 may be slidably mounted upon the shaft 2%in any desired or preferred manner such as a key mounted in alongitudinally extending keyway (not shown) or any other desired orpreferred manner.

These reversible helicopters permit a very close accurate control of thebalance of the dirigible as well as a very accurate and close controlofthe ascending or descending of the dirigible. By means of thesereversible helicopters, the dirigible may be made to ascend verticallyunder all atmospheric conditions and when it is desired to descend while employing such reversible helicopters, the dirigible n-ray be, bysetting these helicopter propellers in operation, descended at thedesired angle or may be made to descend vertically so that a greatsaving is made in time, mileage, fuel and the like over the prior meansof ascending and descending where it haw hold the same down to analtitude so that the same could be run under the roof of the hangar. V

In order to permit the dirigiblc to turn in a very short radius, themotors mounted with the gondolas 13 are provided with reversing gears sothat the direction of rotation of the propellers 30 may be regulated. iired or prei'i'crred type of reversing gear may be employed and appli cit does not deem it 3iecessonr" to illustrate such well undo: 'oodmechanics. By means of having a plurality of motors mounted within motorgondolas 13 at the opposite ends of the dirigible, it is possible, whendesired, to rotate the propellers $30 at the forward end of thedirigible in a directon to drive the dirigible forward while rotatingthe propellers 30 of the motors mounted within the rear goudolas it inthe opposite direction so that the dirigible may be turned in a veryshort space by a slight adjustment o f the vertical rudders 81.

There are preferably eight motor gondolas four mounted at e: ch end ofthe dirigible. 'he gondolas 13 are supported on opposite sides of eachballoon 1 and as will be apparent from Figure 2. Driving motor (notshown) are mounted in each gondola 13 for driving the propeller 30.

The motor in the outer gondolas 13 (of which there are four) areprovided with reverse gears of any dosirable preferred type so that thedirection of rotation of the propeller 30 driven thereby nn .1 bereversed. In turning the dirigi ble is preferable that he motor in thediagonally opposed gondolas only are operated one to turn its propellerS0 in one direction, and one to rotate its propeller l in the oppositedirection; by this means a very effective turn is manipulated in a smallarea.

The vertical rudders 31 are mounted at the rear of the balloons 1 and 2and are pi votally supported in position as extensions of the verticallyextending fins i'rny desired or preferred means may be provided forcontrolling thesc rudders from any of the god dolas 13 or 19 as desired.Mounted at the rear end of each balloon l and 2 and at diametricallyopposed points hereof are horizontally extending fins 3.) to which fins33-; and as an extension thereof are horizontal rudders 34: which arepivoted to the ends of the fins 33 as illustrated at 35. In order topermit an accurate control of the line of travel of the dirigibl'e andso as to maintain a too Ill)

correct balance of the dirigible while traveling through the air a pairof sets of shutter planes 36 and 37 are provided, each of which sets ofshutter planes comprises at least three individual shutter planes whichare pivotally supported at opposite ends of the dirigible between theballoons 1 and 2, which shutter planes when manipulated to thehorizontal position form a continuous shutter plane which provides ahorizontal area which will tend to maintain the dirigible in horizontalposition within the air. These shutter planes also eliminate thenecessity of a close ballast control of the opposite ends of thedirigible as by separately regulating the opposite sets of shutterplanes 36 and 37, the difference in weight of the opposite ends of thedirigible caused by difference in atmospheric conditions, such as thewind blewing on one end of the dirigible and the sun beating down on theopposite end of the dirigible, in one case tending to decrease thebuoyancy of the gas employed and in the other case tending to increasethe buoyancy of the gas employed, may be accurately controlled. Theshutter planes may be controlled from the helicopter gondola 13 asillustrated diagrammatically in Figure 5 where each shutter plane isillustrated as controlled by cables 39 and 4H) secured to the oppositeends thereof and passing over pulleys 41 and $2 to a drum as which isrotated by meansof a steering-wheel 4% which is operatively connected tothe drum 43 at the worm-gear 45. By means of the combined effects of theshutter-planes 36 and 37 and the reversible helicopters 18 a very closecontrol of the air-ship is acquired so that the same can be handled in avery efiicient and accurate manner. 1

Having fully described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is tobe understood that my invention. is not limited to the details hereinset forth which may obviously be varied without departing from thespirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a dirigible the combination of a pair of balloons, means forrigidly connecting the balloons together in horizontal relation, aforward lifting and stabilizing reversible helicopter propeller, a rearlifting and stabilizing reversible helicopter propeller, the saidhelicopter being mounted intermediate the said balloons near the centerthereof, and means for driving the said pro pellers.

ed by the balloons in fore and aft relation,

motors mounted in the gondolas, propellers driven by the motors, meansfor reversing the drive from the motors to the propellers, a forwardreversible helicopter and a rearward lifting and stabilizing reversiblehelicopter, the said helicopter being mounted intermediate the saidballoons near the center thereof, and means for driving the saidhelicopter propellers.

3. In a dirigible the combination of a pair of balloons, a rigid framefor each balloon, a plurality of girders rigidly connecting andextending through the said frames, a pair of reversible lifting andstabilizing helicopter propellers mounted in gondolas one fore and oneaft, the said gondolas being mounted intermediate the said balloons andnear the central horizontal plane of the said pair of balloons and meansfor rotating the said helicopter propellers and means for reversing thedirection of rotation of the said helicopter propellers.

4. In a dirigible the combination of a pair of rigid balloons, a pair ofhelicopter lifting and stabilizing propellers, means for rotating thesaid propellers, a control gondola for each helicopter propeller, amotor mounted within each gondola, one of said gondolas being supportedat each end of the dirigible intermediate the said balloons and abovethe horizontal plane of the lower surface of the said balloons, aplurality of sets of shutter planes mounted intermediate the saidballoons and means controlled from one of said gondolas for adjustingthe position of the said shutter planes.

5. In a dirigible the combination of a pair of balloons, girders forrigidly securing the balloons together, the said girders extendingthrough the said balloons, a plurality of shutter planes supported bythe said girders and mounted between the said balloons above thehorizontal plane of the lower surface of the said balloons, a controlgondola and means for adjusting the position of the shutter planes fromthe control gondola.

6. In a dirigible, the combination of a pair of balloons, means forrigidly securing the balloons together, a plurality of motor gondolasmounted in fore and aft sets, each of which sets comprises a pluralityof gondolas, one of which is mounted upon each side of each balloon,driving propellers driven from each of said gondolas, and means withinthe gondolas for selectively reversing the direction of rotation of thesaid propellers so as to turn the dirigible.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif, this 13th day of October 1925.

RUDOLPH, BYLEK.

